Showing posts with label Sovereignty. Show all posts

Mary's Magnificat: Hope, Joy, Reverence

Monday, December 9, 2013

(photo credit: Waiting For The Word via photopin cc )

And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
  and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
    For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
    and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
    and the rich he has sent away empty.
 He has helped his servant Israel,
    in remembrance of his mercy, 
 as he spoke to our fathers,
    to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
Luke 1:46-55 

Can you imagine what it would be like to receive the news that the child in your womb is the Savior of the world? The the baby you're about to carry for nine months, give birth to, nurse, wean and teach to walk will also grow up to save men from death? I can't. In fact it boggles my mind so much that I can't even begin to imagine what Mary must have felt those many months of carrying Jesus. 

After receiving the news from an angel, Mary hurried off to see her relative Elizabeth who was then carrying John the Baptist. This is when we come across Mary's Magnificat. It gives us a glimpse of what Mary was feeling after hearing that indeed she was with child by the power of the Holy Spirit and carrying our Savior.

Her words are laced with hope, joy and reverence. She can't help but feel God in every inch of her being. To know that God saw her and chose her for this great honor must have been thrilling. She knew all too well that her people were in desperate need of a Savior. (And to think that God chose to come and save them by becoming human!) He saw their need and responded in such an amazing way that Mary had no choice but to revere God and sing praise. Her outburst of praise shows just how much she was filled to overflowing!

His mercy is towards those that fear Him and His love endures from generation to generation. Mary knew that the child in her womb was living proof of that! Jesus still is living proof of that today too.

This advent season I encourage you to take the time to read Mary's Magnificat and meditate on God's love. Listen to the grace filled words of our Lord's mother and let your heart meditate on the message of this song. God's love truly is everlasting and His faithfulness to us is never failing.


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Beginning of Advent

Monday, December 2, 2013

(photo credit: prayerfriends via photopin cc ) 

Advent. 
A time of hope, new beginnings and praise. 
A time to reflect on God's glorious majesty.
A time to ponder over the humble beginnings of Jesus' life and what that means for us today.
Advent.
A time when Hope is born.


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God Has A Plan

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

I love how God seems to always send a message just when we need it most. Sometimes it's a subtle message something that I could easily miss if I'm not paying attention, other times its a very clear and loud message that is extremely hard to miss, and still sometimes God uses other people to speak His timely word to our hearts.

Just a few days ago a sweet blogger wrote a very timely message for me and I have no doubt it was God who orchestrated it all. I wanted to pass on this post on to you all along with the amazing video that went with it.

Click here to read "The Timing of a Beautiful Creator" over at Written Reality. You can view the video below or at the link above. But please be sure to read the blog post before watching the video.


Remember God has a plan.


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Beyond the Bridge: God's Loving Providence

Sunday, August 18, 2013

The drive to Vermont had been pretty uneventful. My dad and I had to drive up without my mother as she was finishing a tennis tournament her team had gotten into after a series of wins. After talking to my dad for bit I decided to turn on my iPod and listen to R.C. Sproul's radio program Renewing Your Mind.


Dr. Sproul had been doing a series of talks on the Providence of God this past July and I had just downloaded all of them for the ride. Listening with utter amazement at the words spoken by him I came to an even deeper understanding of God's control over all things. I still can't fully fathom His power and Sovereignty but nevertheless I'm ok with that. I'm ok with simply trusting in His Sovereignty each day. It's not always easy but by His grace I still walk forward trusting Him.

We had another 40 minutes or so to go when I turned off my iPod to ponder over the words I had just heard. The ball game on the radio seemed like a distant noise to me as I began to take in the view of the mountains surrounding me. The Providence of God wasn't hard to understand with the displays of His magnificent creation surrounding me.

(Image courtesy of [RTP411] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

The turn onto the off ramp distracted me for a moment. A highway bridge in front of the car gave a brief pause to the surrounding landscapes. I took a break from basking in the beauty around me. But unbeknown to me within a matter of seconds something spectacular awaited on the other side. My breath caught. Over that bridge was a scene that could have been taken right out of a Monet painting. It was amazing. Soaking in the sights my eyes were glued to the large green hill and tall trees surrounding a small farm house on the horizon. The sprawling horse fence tied everything together in this peaceful picture. Basking in this majestic sight I didn't want our car to turn. If my dad could have parked that car right on the side of the road I would've been content to just sit there for hours. There was something in this picture that spoke deeply about God's Providence. 

Maybe it was because this picture seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Often times in my own life God's Providence seems to just appear out of nowhere. But I know that's not true; God's Providence is everywhere at all times in all things. It just takes eyes of faith to see it.

(Image courtesy of [antpkr] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

The hustle and bustle of life often makes me less prone to see His Sovereign fingerprints but they are still there. Sometimes we have to just get beyond the bridge in front of us, that may seem like a nuisance or a hindrance in our walk, in order to finally come to the place where God wants us to be. After all since God is Sovereign the bridge must have been put there by God's Providence, and in that there too is beauty.


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A Picture Worth a Divine Word

Monday, July 1, 2013


I stare at the picture on my wall, the one I had just bought the day before because of its immense beauty. There isn't anything particularly extravagant about the photo. It's a picture of a long boardwalk with a simple white chair at the end looking out into the vast ocean. The sea is calm, the sky is somewhat cloudy and yet true beauty is displayed within the canvas. Simple but beautiful. It evokes a sense of peace, a sense of calm within my soul.

As I stare at this piece of art, I envision myself looking out into the ocean as if looking out into my future. In the midst of God's creation I feel His presence even closer than before. There is no fear for what comes next, just peace. A peace that surpasses understanding. It's not something I normally feel when it comes to the future. More often than not fear, apprehension, questions and confusion cloud my thinking when I try to figure out what the Lord is doing my life. But not now. Not as I focus my eyes on this photograph on my wall. Right now, I feel the Lord's peace; right now I feel a great assurance that the Lord has everything under control and will be working on my behalf to bring His perfect plan to pass in my life.

The Lord speaks in many different ways. Whether through His Word, a friend, His creation or a picture, He is not limited by any means. The picture I hung on my wall is not merely worth a thousand words, it is worth a Divine Word.

I'm reminded of a verse in 1 Kings 18 where Elijah prayed for rain after a severe drought and sent his servant to look for any signs of the coming rain:

“Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked.
“There is nothing there,” he said.
Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”
1 Kings 18:43

And God provided the rain.


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God Sees, God Works

Monday, June 17, 2013

Romans 8:28 is my life verse. I remember when I first read these words they sort of jumped off the page to me. They became alive within me and really resonated within my being. Everything that I had been through, everything that I had done wrong and everything that I was going to do, God was going to work it for my good. The many years of anxiety and suffering didn't go to waste. God used those years of suffering for my good because of His boundless mercy and love.

God saw; God sees; God works.

God sees you too. God knows you. God is working in you. The truth is, it may not always feel that way but rest assured God is Sovereign and working all things together for your good. Even the things in your life that feel hopeless, God is working on that too.

Trust in Him to work on your behalf and believe in this beautiful promise. God always sees and God always works.


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The Sovereign I AM

Monday, May 6, 2013

Yesterday my Pastor showed a quick video at the end of his sermon. It was so beautiful, so awe-inspiring, so true, that I had to share it with you all today.


(The voice you hear in this video is of Pastor Louie Giglio)


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7 Scriptures on God's Sovereignty

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

God's Sovereignty--A Central Point to Faith

As I've been meditating and thinking about the Sovereignty of God, I realize just how critical the Christian's faith is to this one central point.  Of course, it is not the only thing central to our faith but believing that our God is Sovereign and can do whatever He wills is crucial for all believers. It's been a real blessing to me to have my eyes opened to this truth. Here are seven verses that talk directly about or otherwise address the Sovereignty of God. 


The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?"
Exodus 4:11 

Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.
Joshua 21:45 

In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. 
Job 12:10

Your eyes saw my unformed body all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Psalm 139:16

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.
Proverbs 16:9
  
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:5

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 
Romans 8:28

 Yes, our God is in control. He is a kind, merciful, compassionate God and He's got all things in His hands, including you.


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